Acoustic driver assembly with increased head mass displacement amplitude

Abstract

An acoustic driver horn that is integral to a wall of a cavitation chamber is provided. The horn design is applicable to any of a variety of cavitation chamber configurations, including spherical, cylindrical, and rectangular chambers. Although a variety of driver assemblies can be coupled to the driver horn, preferably the acoustic driver assembly includes a head mass, a tail mass, and at least one transducer, typically a piezoelectric transducer, and preferably a pair of piezoelectric transducers. A groove in the cavitation chamber wall defines the driver horn and separates it from the remaining portion of the cavitation chamber wall. Due to the thinning of the wall around the horn, the driver that is attached to the horn is able to more effectively couple its energy into the cavitation fluid within the chamber.

1 . A cavitation system, comprising: 
 a cavitation chamber, wherein a wall of said cavitation chamber is comprised of at least a first wall portion and a second wall portion, wherein said first wall portion defines a driver horn, and wherein said first wall portion and said second wall portion are separated by a groove in an exterior surface of said wall; and    an acoustic driver assembly coupled to said driver horn.    
   
   
       2 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein a third wall portion defined by said groove is less than 0.25 inches thick.  
   
   
       3 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein a third wall portion defined by said groove is less than 0.050 inches thick.  
   
   
       4 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein a first thickness corresponding to said first wall portion and a second thickness corresponding to said second wall portion are equivalent.  
   
   
       5 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein a first thickness corresponding to said first wall portion is greater than a second thickness corresponding to said second wall portion.  
   
   
       6 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein said cavitation chamber further comprises a first end cap, a second end cap, a cylindrical portion and means for coupling said first end cap to said second end cap and capturing said cylindrical portion between said first and second end caps, and wherein said first end cap includes said cavitation chamber wall.  
   
   
       7 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein said acoustic driver assembly further comprises: 
 a tail mass;    at least one transducer, wherein a first side of said at least one transducer is adjacent to said tail mass, and wherein a second side of said at least one transducer is adjacent to said driver horn; and    a means for assembling said acoustic driver assembly.    
   
   
       8 . The cavitation system of  claim 7 , wherein said assembling means further comprises a centrally located threaded means coupling said tail mass and said at least one transducer to said driver horn, and wherein said centrally located threaded means is threaded into a corresponding threaded hole in said driver horn.  
   
   
       9 . The cavitation system of  claim 8 , wherein said assembling means further comprises a threaded nut corresponding to said centrally located threaded means, and wherein said threaded nut compresses said tail mass and said at least one transducer against said driver horn.  
   
   
       10 . The cavitation system of  claim 8 , further comprising an insulating sleeve surrounding at least a portion of said centrally located threaded means, wherein said insulating sleeve is interposed between said centrally located threaded means and said at least one transducer.  
   
   
       11 . The cavitation system of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a piezoelectric transducer.  
   
   
       12 . The cavitation system of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer, wherein adjacent surfaces of said first and second piezoelectric transducers have the same polarity.  
   
   
       13 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein said acoustic driver assembly further comprises: 
 at least one transducer;    a tail mass, wherein a first side of said at least one transducer is adjacent to said tail mass;    a head mass, wherein a first side of said head mass is adjacent to a second side of said at least one transducer, and wherein a second side of said head mass is adjacent to said driver horn;    a means for coupling said head mass to said driver horn; and    a means for assembling said acoustic driver assembly.    
   
   
       14 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein said coupling means further comprises a threaded means, wherein said threaded means is threaded into a first corresponding threaded hole in said driver horn and a second corresponding threaded hole in said head mass.  
   
   
       15 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein said assembling means further comprises a threaded means coupling said tail mass and said at least one transducer to said head mass, and wherein said threaded means is threaded into a corresponding threaded hole in said head mass.  
   
   
       16 . The cavitation system of  claim 15 , wherein said assembling means further comprises a threaded nut corresponding to said threaded means, wherein said threaded nut compresses said tail mass and said at least one transducer against said head mass.  
   
   
       17 . The cavitation system of  claim 15 , further comprising an insulating sleeve surrounding at least a portion of said threaded means, wherein said insulating sleeve is interposed between said threaded means and said at least one transducer.  
   
   
       18 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein said head mass is shaped.  
   
   
       19 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter corresponding to said head mass is different from a diameter corresponding to said driver horn.  
   
   
       20 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a piezoelectric transducer.  
   
   
       21 . The cavitation system of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer, wherein adjacent surfaces of said first and second piezoelectric transducers have the same polarity.  
   
   
       22 . The cavitation system of  claim 1 , wherein said acoustic driver assembly further comprises: 
 at least one transducer;    a tail mass, wherein a first side of said at least one transducer is adjacent to said tail mass;    a head mass, wherein a first side of said head mass is adjacent to a second side of said at least one transducer, and wherein a second side of said head mass is adjacent to said driver horn; and    a threaded means for assembling said acoustic driver assembly and coupling said acoustic driver assembly to said driver horn, wherein said threaded means is threaded into a corresponding threaded hole in said driver horn.    
   
   
       23 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , wherein said assembling means further comprises a threaded nut corresponding to said threaded means, wherein said threaded nut compresses said tail mass, said at least one transducer and said head mass against said driver horn.  
   
   
       24 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , further comprising an insulating sleeve surrounding at least a portion of said threaded means, wherein said insulating sleeve is interposed between said threaded means and said at least one transducer.  
   
   
       25 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , wherein said head mass is shaped.  
   
   
       26 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , wherein a diameter corresponding to said head mass is different from a diameter corresponding to said driver horn.  
   
   
       27 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a piezoelectric transducer.  
   
   
       28 . The cavitation system of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one transducer is comprised of a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer, wherein adjacent surfaces of said first and second piezoelectric transducers have the same polarity.